Grain-separator



' (No Model.)

A. ZASTROW. GRAIN SEPARAT OR.

No. 358,825.' Patented Mar. 1, 18-87.

Witnesses UNITED STATES AUGUST ZASTROlV, OF LA HARPE, ILLINOIS.

GRAlN-SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,825, dated March 1, 1887.

Application filed April 4, 1984.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, AUGUST ZASTROW, a citizen of the United States, residing at La Harpe, county of Hancock, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Grain Separators, of which the following is a clear and exact description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which the same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures, Figure 1 is a perspective view of so much of the rear end of the thrashing-machine as is necessary to show my invention, and Fig. 2 is a detail view of the toothed shaft or tailings-regulator at the end of the shoe.

This invention relates to grain-separators, and has for its object to provide a device for regulating the discharge of the chaff, unthrashed grain, &c., from the rear end of the winnowing-shoe; and it consists in the improved construction and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

At the rear end of the thrashirig-machine, having the ordinary grain and straw carriers,

the winnowing-shoe A is suspended by means of hangers B B upon each side, and is operated or moved back and forth by means of the ordinary crankshaft and pitman, O and D. At the rear end of the shoe are two troughs,

E and F, pivotally supported at one end upon a lever, G, fulcrumed at its middle upon a suitable support, and having its ends bent in opposite directions. The other ends of these troughs are suspended from the frame of the machine by suitable hangers. These troughs are operated by the motion of the shoe by means of a rock-shaft, H, journaled to one side of the machine, and having a pitmau, 1, connecting its upper end with the shoe, and another pitman, J, connecting its lower end with the lower trough, F. As the shoe is drawn back and forth by means of thepitman 1) the rockshaft is partly rotated, which causes the troughs to move longitudinally in opposite directions to each other, but at right angles to the direction in which the shoe is moved. The lower one of these troughs receives the grain from the bottom board of the shoe and empties it into a receptacle placed at of this chaff and unthrashed grain.

Serial No. 126.619. (No model.)

one side of the machine, and the other one receives the unthrashed heads of grain and chaff from the upper screen of the shoe and empties it into an elevator, (not shown,) which passes it to the front of the machine,where it is again passed through the thrashing-cylinder. The amount of unthrashed grain and chaff varies with the condition of the grain being thrashed.

Then the grain is dry, the force of the air from the wiuuowingfan is sufficient to blow the unthrashed heads over the trough into the chaff or straw pile and thus be lost, unless some obstruction is placed at the rear end of the shoe to prevent it; but, as often happens, the amount of moisture in the grain being thrashed will vary, and the obstruction that will prevent the dry heads from being blown over will also keep the moist heads from passing over the screen of the shoe to such an extent that it becomes choked or clogged, which necessitates frequent cleanings or a change in the position'of the obstruction. For the purpose of overcoming this difficulty I have constructed an obstruction that will automatically regulate itself to the condition of the grain being thrashed, or rather to the amount A shaft or rake-head, K, is journaled at its ends in the sides of the shoe, and is provided with a set or series of teeth, L, which project in radial lines from one side thereof. At one end of this shaft a weight or pendulum, M, is-secured by means of a rod or arm, N, which is secured to it at an angle to the teeth. As the shoe moves back and forth the swinging motion of the weight causes the teeth to move back and forth, so that the grain is subjected to a beating as it leaves the shoe, and if an unusual amount of this unthrashed grain collects there its greater weight will cause the teeth to be depressed or turned downward over the trough, which will cause it to present less obstruction to the passage of the grain over or through it into the trough, thus preventing the shoe from becoming clogged. As

soon, however, as the accumulation of the moist heads passes over the obstruction the weight of the pendulum causes'the teeth to assume their usual position and to obstruct the drier grain until there is another aecumunaled in the sides of the shoe, and a weight or lotion. when the same operation is again rependulum the arm of which is secured to the peated. I said shaft; at an angle to said teeth.

Having thus described my invention I AUGUST ZASTROYV; 5 claim Vitnesses:

The combination of a longitudinally-reeip- J. R. BOOTH, roosting shoe, a transverse toothed shaft jour- JOSEPH R. GRABILL. 

